Smoke hangs in the air. Smoke, the smell of booze and the sound of wastelanders going broke. Bots travel along the dingy carpet carrying drinks with the upmost efficency. Slot machines line the walls and in between are all manner of blackjack tables, craps and roulette. And towards the back, of course, poker

Seated at one of the lower stake tables Lowry has his old brown hat on the table beside him, next to a whiskied water. A cigar hangs from his mouth as he squints his eyes and some ash falls on the table as he stares at his hand. "Raise 50." He says flat toned. Two others are sitting there and the first folds. 'What ya' got, Lo." The other asks, "Cost ya' fifty." The Cowboy replies. "Fuck, I call." The man lays down Ace high. Lowry shows his pair of twos with a shit eating grin as he rakes the caps, "Aww Fuck you!" The man shouts. Standing he draws his weapon...

But the Lone star guard is too quick. His pistol out and leveled on the table at the mans groin. "I'd limp home with what ya' got left 'fore ya' get castrated by this here .45." He winks and cocks the hammer back on his ancient revolve

Astaroth Paladino stomps into the casino in heavy power armor, whirring and hissing with each step he spies a poker table heads over. He proceeds to open his suit of power armor and steps out into the open air, leaving the hollow shell of durasteel standing sentry near the table. A combat knife hangs from the belt around his large waist, glistening in the dim light of the casino as he takes a seat before even asking, "Mind if I join you guy?"

Lowry barely acknowledges the man but only because Guns are drawn. He sounds pleasant enough. Yea, Sit friend. Jim was just leaving, weren't ya, Jim?" The man grunts and slowly holsters his weapon and leaves. Lowry continues raking the caps and sees the knife. "Nice blade. Just lost mine." He doesnt say how. "LEaving the last call of fifty from the sore loser he says, "Knife fer' them caps he so graciously left if your interested. Save us some time. There already there." He nods and kicks a seat out. Grabbing the cards he starts to shuffle. Five cards straight. Guts. five caps a hand. /Usually/ a friendly game.

Astaroth Paladino nods in agreement drawing the dagger from his belt and sliding it across to Lowrys side of the table, then afterward placing five caps on his side. He gives you a hard look before finally commenting, "Eh you were with us last night, helping out those Brahman stuffing ghouls yea? That was a hulluva battle, good to see you again on a less dire of occasions."

Lowry picks it up and tests the edge, his thumb brushing virtically as it is held horizontally. He seems pleased and slides it in his coat. He starts dealing and makes some small talk. "So, you really took a whopin' from that mutated varmit last night. I thought we were both goners." He puffs on his cigar and sets the deck down. "How ya' make a livin'? If ya' don't mind me askin'."

Astaroth Paladino checks his cards with a deep, thoughtful expression. He fidgets with the caps with free hand, stacking them and shifting them constantly as he speaks in a low grumble "Aye sure did me good back there, but I am tough. That could of went a lot worse than it did. As for work, lately there has been none since my company of the Brotherhood of Steel seems to have left New Mexico. I would rather stay and cleanse some more abominations. What I was made for."

The cards are laid down and Lowry curses, "Summabitch." He passes the deal. "Well, I got somethin fer' ya. Could use a big hulking bastard like you running point." He doesn't get into the details yet just re-antes.

Astaroth Paladino takes the newly won caps with a sly grin, leaving his previous five on the table as his buy-in. He comments, making idle conversation "I could use the work, if there is one thing I am good at it is getting my ass kicked for other people. You seen the proof last night. I do not need need many details, just someone to guard, an enemy, and a few caps to pad my wallet eh?"

"Well, its a run." He picks up the cards as their dealt and squints, still talking. "Gotta get my caravan too...My Ma's. Haul her a load o' firewood, brahmin jerky. Supplies ya' know. She don't get out much. But it's always nice to have another set o killers to offset all the ones out there." He takes a drink. "Somethin' you'd be into? Ussually safe but I come across raiders the past couple of times. Got a friend o' mine comin, she rides well but don't shoot worth a damn."

Astaroth Paladino takes a peek at his cards while mulling over the offer in his head a moment, a vein popping out of the center of his forehead as he tries to think. A short moment later he finally responds "Sounds like a decent enough gig. Raiders can be handled, and my new hammer will make tato sause off their domes. I am looking forward to giving it a swing soon."

Lowry smiles and lays down his pair. Only to shcout, "Fuck!" When he is beaten. He snatches up the cards and shuffles aggressively. "Should be simple enough. And I got us some radio support. Trouble comes we'll be ready." The cards are dealt out and his galss finished. "Two more!" He shouts to a passing bot. "You like whiskey?"

Astaroth Paladino chuckles loudly, the sound resembling boulders crashing together "I like free whiskey, that is for sure. At least no ghouls around tonight to waste it over eh?" His chuckle subsides and he checks his hand, hoping his luck keeps up.

Lowry sees his hand and doesn't even bother to show his. "Fucking, fuck." He is shaking his head and gathers the cards to shuffle. " Anyways, I'll help ya out. Could give ya...I don't know..Forty caps on this first run. PRy be about six hours worth o' work." He picks up his cards now and takes a deep breath.

Astaroth Paladino nods his large square head up and down at your offer, and does a little math in his head "Aye, that along with anything I keep here tonight will put me in a good way. This hammer costed me 800 caps, but only had 500 on me. I am a man who settles his debts an wish to have it done as soon as possible. Well worth the price though. Only two of them like it, and hard to find anything better that does not shoot a bullet."

"Fuck me runnin!" Lowry shouts. "If 'en yer' gonna screw me, wanna get me a drink first?!" He is chuckling, not that worried. A twirl of the finger gets him another drink now. He nods at the hammer. "Looks nice. Wouldn't wanna be on the wrong end of it." He pulls his cards with one hand, looks and rolls his eyes setting them back down. "You'll get to keep anything ya' find and any loot we come across gets split too. Ya' know tha' wastes. Lots o' shit out there." He winks, sips, puffs. Bets.

Astaroth Paladino says, "That is true enough, a man can really make a living out of the wasteland if he has the balls. I bet if we team up it can make for a very profitable arrangement. I am not first of the Brotherhood to go mercenary lately, but I intend on being the wealthiest." He takes his whiskey and downs half of it in one gulp, his large hard face turning read from the heat of it. A large burp rubbles from his massive gut, shuttering through his muscular chest and escaping with in a torrent of noise and wind.

Lowry nods. "I like me some caps. Though you couldn't tell by the way o' things tonight." He chuckles. "Oh, the work is there." He confirms. "But, " And a look is given. "I'll need your confidence on this stuff. Try not to make it general knowledge." He pulls another set of cards and frowns.

Lowry shuffles, deals and drinks. After lighting another cigar his eyes grow wide. It's Jimmy and a buddy. "That's the bastard there!" Jim screams pointing at Lowry. Both men wielding shitty shotguns come drunkenly striding forth. "Now wait just a minute, Jim." Lowry says. He gives a nod to Roth and while he is asking the man to wait he actually jumps up and flips the table, his pistol drawn quickly.

Astaroth Paladino jumps out out of his chair making it crash onto the floor and shatter into firewood, he jumps into his power armor and closes it shut before running to Lowry's side and hoisting his super sledge into the air shouting, "Ad Victoriam!"

He then brings the hammer down with a vicious swing, the jet on the back of the super sledge fires up driving it even faster as it rockets towards Jim's head with frightening speed. The head of the hammer connects with a sickening crunch sending blood flying in every direction and leaving nothing but bits of flesh and muscles hanging from his neck.

The man is fast. "Damn.." Lowry is taken aback. "Nice fucking swing!" He adds as his pistol is drawn and fired. "You can definetly work with me!!!" Jim's head is obliterated and when it is another jumps up from a nearby table. The place is already a commotion from the men charging in with drawn weapons and the table being flipped. "You fucking fuck!" Said gambler draws a Desert eagle. One bad ass pistol that was made by bad ass hebrews. "You kill ma' fucking cousin!!!" He fires off a round at Roth... Meanwhile Lowry has smacked the hammer with his left hand and let one purchase Johns flesh in his midsection. "Aghhhh!" He screams as he stumbles back.

Astaroth Paladino grins at Lowry, "Nice shooting mate, we make a damn good team!" He turns his attention back to the fight, bringing his sledgehammer up for another swing. He swings it backwards and as the sledghammer heads back upward toward the ceiling it connnects with John's manhood sending him flying and letting out one last falsetto scream as hits the far wall dead.

Lowry is still banged up so he lets the power armored man show his stuff. Seems he likes to draw attention and take the heat off others. Teamwork. The man understands. The over exertion makes Lowry start bleeding again from a wound previously suffered. "Damn." He pulls a little bottle and takes some liquid courage before popping back up and firing off a shot at John. "Back to tha' mud wit' ya'!" He shouts. His shot finds flesh on Jerry's arm and the man screams. "Damn right we do! Finish that fucker off!"